Many apply, but few are chosen

THE TIME of year for submitting applications to the Australian Research Council (ARC) is here again. But there is much talk in science common rooms about whether it's worth applying, given that last year's success rate was only 19 per cent.

Federal education bureaucrats have defended this figure by pointing to a recent survey of research output conducted by their department which shows that 15 per cent of academics produce about half the publications. It makes sense, these officials argue, to focus scarce resources on this productive 15 to 20 per cent.

But the shortage of funds must be reducing total scientific output. While those researchers who are not funded may be less productive, they certainly would achieve more if they were supported. And they could easily be doing better science than some of the favoured, who may simply be better at getting their work into print.

A more disturbing ...

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